B'nai B'rith World Center director Alan Schneider addressed in January 29 the monthly dinner meeting of the Jerusalem Rotary Club on the topic "B'nai B'rith in Israel: Laying the Foundations for the Jewish State." Schneider presented to the club members a detailed account of B'nai B'rith's activities in pre-State Israel beginning in 1888 with the establishment of the Jewish Lodge that pioneered settlement, community cohesiveness, the Hebrew language, Jewish culture, medicine, youth and adult education, and counter-missionary activity in Jerusalem, Jaffa and outlying Jewish communities. The lodge also conducted dangerous clandestine missions in the 1890 to establish B'nai B'rith lodges in Jewish communities in the Levant including Beirut, Izmir, Alexandria and Sofia. Schneider also addressed a group of Israeli diplomats preparing for new foreign appointments they will take up in the summer. Schneider's talk included an overview of B'nai B'rith's scope of members and activities around the world and some observations about cooperation between Jewish organizations and Israeli diplomatic legations. Diplomats in the session will be deployed to Israeli embassies in Brussels, Ottawa, Washington, Madrid and others capitals around the world. Other participants on the panel discussion were Sam Grundwerg, Director General, World Jewish Congress Israel and Becky Caspi, Executive Director, Israel Office and Senior Vice President, Israel and Overseas for Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).

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B'nai B'rith World Center

The B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem is the hub of B'nai B'rith International activities in Israel. The Center serves as the key link between Israel and B'nai B'rith members and supporters around the world.